(City Council leaders meet with new incoming members in the Council caucus room in Philadelphia City Hall. Credit: Mike Dunn)

By Mike Dunn

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Today is orientation day for six freshmen: they’re the six incoming members of Philadelphia City Council.

Outgoing City Council president Anna Verna and incoming City Council president Darrell Clarke were hosting a detailed seminar today on life in City Council for the six newly elected freshmen.

(Councilmembers-elect Kenyatta Johnson and Cindy Bass, and City Council president Anna Verna, who is retiring. Credit: Mike Dunn)

“Things are little bit different here, and I’m looking forward to getting all the information I can,” says Cindy Bass, who is succeeding Donna Miller in the 8th District after working for ten years for US Congressman Chaka Fattah.

Kenyatta Johnson, who is succeeding Verna as councilman for the 2nd District, arrives after years as a state representative in Harrisburg, where’s it easy get to lost in the crowd.

“It’s definitely quite different than Harrisburg in terms of the number of legislators,” Johnson tells KYW Newsradio, “and quite frankly, being one of seventeen makes the dynamics a little different.”

The six freshmen will take office on January 2nd. It will be the largest number of new councilmembers since 1992, when seven arrived.

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Mike Dunn is City Hall bureau chief for KYW Newsradio 1060. He covers the mayor, City Council, and every other aspect of the city’s political landscape.
Mike has been with KYW since 1990. His reporting specialties have also included keeping an eye...